Ashley Wentzell

May10,2016
Honors English 12
Mrs.Livingston
1B

BALLET

Dear Reader,
The topic that I chose was ballet. I chose this topic because it has some personal meaning
to me. When I turned three years old, my mother signed me up for a ballet class at a dance
studio. This was the start of my dance career. I danced ballet from when I was 3 years old up
until the age of 13. During my time as a ballet dancer, I accomplished goals and moved up from
the baby classes with regular cloth shoes to the more advanced classes with pointe shoes. I had
always dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina. This period in my life was filled with
happiness and moments where I felt free. There was no rules. It was a way for me to channel all
of my emotions and express those feelings to people that understood me. This is the reason that I
wanted to do my muti-genre research project on the subject of ballet. I want to educate people on
the art of dance and ballet and I want people to understand why I love this art form so much.

Sincerely,

Ashley Wentzell

1. Power Point on The History of Ballet Shoes ( in

shared folder on Google Drive)
2. Youtube video on Getting Started in Ballet
3. Poem by Miranda Snow called Ballerinas Poem
4. How-To Create the Perfect Ballerina Bun

https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uac
t=8&ved=0ahUKEwimlcXJv97MAhWKNSYKHepICMA
QtwIIRzAH&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com
%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJo2QTcfNJs&usg=AFQjCNGFvNPjNh1727bVwetCoBk_4KFlSA
&sig2=zTBlIl8FLYXEjzmRK5FIeg
This is the link to the youtube video for #2 in the table of
contents.

Ballerinas Poem
by Miranda Snow

Never will I be covered in tattoos

My legs and toes shall forever stay bruised.
Ill never paint or carry a tune
Forever and ever, Ill wear a tutu.
I wont dye my hair pink or blue
My piercings will stay as the simple two
Nails cut short and hair in a bun
In ballet, this must be done.
Pink tights by the mound
Bobby pins all around
Leotards on the floor
Pointe shoes by the door.
Toes taped so tightly
Smiling big and brightly
Red lipstick adding to her beauty
The dancer moves so smoothly.
Turned out from my hips
No words coming from my lips
I dance sweetly to the sound

Ooh ballet, to you, I am bound.

Full of grace, never haste
Filling perfectly my costume of lace
Ever so sweet, my dancing feet
Step after step, I repeat and repeat.
Obtaining perfection is my key
Its what I strive for, its all that defines me
Pushing harder and harder to reach my goal
Its what I live for, ballet is my soul.
My toes may bleed
And my knees, grow weak
But Ill never stop dancing
Not until I reach my peak.
Pirouette, Pirouette
Dancers silhouette
Practicing at dusk
Dedication is a must.
Stretching my limbs
Choreographing on a whim
Alway aiming to be stronger
To hold my arabesque longer.
When I do finally reach that triple pirouette

and all is done and all is set

I put myself back into class
Aiming for a fourth, to be better than the last.
This is the life of a dancer en pointe
Risking the health of her feet, legs and joints
Just for that one perfect moment on stage
Where the ballerina stands tall and all are amazed.

http://dance.about.com/od/getstarteddancing/ss/Ballerina_B
un.htm
This is the link for the perfect ballerina bun